


Moderating Manners

by MultifandomHeartu



Category: One Piece
Genre: F/F, F/M, Harem, Hiriko, Reverse Harem, They all are whipped
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-16
Updated: 2021-03-04
Packaged: 2021-03-14 01:14:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 10,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28787769
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MultifandomHeartu/pseuds/MultifandomHeartu
Summary: "Hello, it's nice to meet you! My name is Hiriko. Please take care of me!""YOU'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO INTRODUCE YOURSELF TO THE ENEMY, DUMMY!"...Transparent, polite, and unique. Hiriko was definitely unique and every one of her nakama sincerely believed she was one of the kind. That was why they were so glad she was theirs!From tour guide to nakama, follow Hiriko as she manages to deeply wedge herself in the hearts of the Straw Hat Pirate crew....Weekly updates on Saturday (Story Fully Published on Quotev)One Piece Various Characters X Female Original Character
Relationships: Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks/Original Character(s), Akagami no Shanks | Red-Haired Shanks/Original Female Character(s), Boa Hancock/Original Character(s), Boa Hancock/Original Female Character(s), Buggy (One Piece)/Original Female Character(s), Buggy/Original Character, Eustass Kid/Original Character(s), Eustass Kid/Original Female Character(s), Monkey D. Luffy/Original Character(s), Monkey D. Luffy/Original Female Character(s), Nami (One Piece)/Original Character(s), Nami (One Piece)/Original Female Character(s), Nico Robin/Original Character(s), Nico Robin/Original Female Character(s), Portgas D. Ace/Original Character(s), Portgas D. Ace/Original Female Character(s), Roronoa Zoro/Original Character(s), Roronoa Zoro/Original Female Character(s), Tony Tony Chopper/Original Character, Tony Tony Chopper/Original Female Character, Trafalgar D. Water Law/Original Character(s), Trafalgar D. Water Law/Original Female Character(s), Usopp/Original Character, Usopp/Original Female Character, Vinsmoke Sanji/Original Character(s), Vinsmoke Sanji/Original Female Character(s)
Comments: 10
Kudos: 84





	1. Expensive Eyes

Keys:-

"Talking"

'Thinking'

Emphasis/Emphasis

It had lasted for a split second — maybe even less. That was how long Nami had caught the eye of an interesting passerby.

Nami and the rest of the crew, plus Vivi, had just arrived in Alabasta and we’re currently stocking up on supplies while looking for their child of a captain who had run off the moment their ship had docked — maybe even before that. 

Blistering heat-waves washed over them and Nami found herself immediately perspiring profusely. Her skin glistened with sweat and the cloak on her back felt heavy as the sun beat down on her. Though, she supposed this weather was a norm for Alabasta as no one seemed to bat an eye much less complain.

The orange-haired navigator had been inspecting a sparkling crystal necklace that had caught her eyes when she glimpsed something from her peripheral vision. Craning her neck slightly, Nami found herself staring at a pair of golden orbs.

A puff of air left her lips and she found herself slumping over in what she could only describe as amazement. That person’s eyes were the color of pure gold! It was just like liquid gold! 

Her mind immediately started racing with images of a face fit for eyes so expensive before she had even seen the person’s face. Her mind supplied her with pictures of a fair-skinned, pristine, clean person covered in golden jewelry — of which she was willing to bet paled in comparison to their eyes. In all her years, Nami had never seen gold that sparkled and glittered like this person’s eyes.

However, as she let herself scan the person’s other features, the images disappeared and she found herself disappointed.

It was a woman. A pretty one at that, but she wasn’t at all what Nami had envisioned. Nowhere in sight was fair skin, instead, the woman’s skin was tan and sun-kissed — yet it still looked very soft, Nami begrudgingly noted. The woman had a button nose and plush lips, nothing like the straight and thin nose and lip the people in her vision had. Her hair, was perhaps worst of all. Locks of messy brown hair were haphazardly thrown up into a ponytail, the only thing keeping them up a flimsy piece of fabric.

Her clothes, Nami noted in sorrowfully, were even worse. Not a single patch of silk was seen on the girl’s form. Instead, she was clad in a cotton halter top that wrapped around her neck decorated by a single gold chain in the middle. Along with it, she wore dark, loose, tan pants and sandals. On top of her whole get up, the woman wore a large dark cloak. Perhaps even a backpack, Nami mused, going off of the lump on the woman’s back which was cover by the cloak.

It was too plain of an appearance for eyes so ethereal!

Not to mention the fact that the woman seemed to be covered in sand and dirt, even a few scars here and there.

In reality, Nami knew that was what she should have expected everyone here to look like and that anything else would be weird. Yet, for some reason, she couldn’t quite quiet down the desire in her to see the woman clad in expensive and extravagant clothing, something fit for her eyes!

Just as Nami was about to turn around, refusing to acknowledge the dent in her mood, the golden-eyed girl reacted. Noticing Nami’s stare, the girl looked taken aback for a minute but quickly recovered before flashing Nami a wide grin, one that had her eyes squinting and her pearly teeth showing.

Maybe, there was something about her that rivaled the beauty of her eyes, after all.


	2. Dubious Debt

Keys:-

“Talking”

‘Thinking’

Emphasis/Emphasis

“I’ll pay!”

Those two words were words that Vivi never imagined hearing Nami willingly saying. Understandably so, she supposed. Although she didn’t know the details, Vivi understood that Nami’s struggles always seemed to stem from lack of an efficient amount of money, thus she’s learned to be stingy -- for lack of better words -- with the money she does have.

That was precisely why the act of Nami offering to pay for a random stranger’s supplies seemed so bizarre to Vivi, to the point where she audibly let out a squeak of confusion, her expression twisted into one of pure puzzlement. 

The stranger seemed to share her bafflement and turned around swiftly, allowing Vivi to take in more than their side profile. 

‘Her eyes are gorgeous!’ she thought, almost letting the thought leave her lips before she caught herself. 

The female’s eyes were brilliant! Orbs of molten gold glimmered in the sunlight. Her slightly tanned skin complimented her eyes beautifully and so did her light hair. A cloth was wrapped around her forehead like a bandanna and locks of brown hair had escaped the flimsy...bandage? -- whatever it was, it didn’t do a good job of holding her hair up as many longer strands had escaped its grasp and now framed the girl’s heart-shaped face. Vivi thought it looked good on the girl. That thought soon led to her imagining how the golden-eyed girl would look with her flowy and bouncy hair loose.

‘Pretty.’ She guessed. 

“Thank you very much for your kind offer, but I assure you it isn’t necessary.” The stranger finally spoke, allowing the two girls to hear her voice. It was soft, yet stable and strong with a polite curtness to it. Her style of speech was strangely formal too, yet both girls didn’t pay it much mind.

Nami didn’t reply, instead handing over the necessary amount of money to the stall owner -- an old lady who seemed to be immensely enjoying the scene unfolding in front of her. The elderly lady laughed heartily but accepted the money, then handing over a small plastic bag to the cloaked girl along with a cheeky wink.

Once the girl had hesitantly taken the bag into her hands, and only then, did Nami decide to speak up, her eyes never leaving the girl’s form as she did. 

“Actually, I was hoping for a favor. Consider this my payment.” Nami explained, an innocent grin on her face as she talked to the other girl, who stood at about the same height as Nami. 

‘That makes more sense...’ Vivi thought, yet she didn’t dwell on it for long, her mind too occupied with imagining all the different hairstyles suited for the brunette stranger. 

“I’ll be happy to oblige!” The girl piped, her tone light and an encouraging smile plastered onto her pink lips. “And since you have already paid in my stead, I suppose I can do nothing but thank you! I appreciate your kindness immensely!” the girl thanked, bowing slightly to the orange-haired girl. 

Nami found herself subconsciously mirroring the girl’s grin. Her eyes swam with fondness and her cheeks tinted a rosy color. “Don’t mention it! You’re going to be paying back after all! I’d like you to be our tour guide during our stay in Alabsta.”

Now that was enough to snap the blue-haired princess out of her daze. A shrill “what?!” escaped her before she could hold herself back. What was Nami thinking?! Bringing along a random stranger they stumbled across in the market along with them on their journey through Alabasta’s desert?! That would not only endanger the poor golden-eyed girl but them as well. If the girl was to recognize them after all, there was no way of guaranteeing she’d keep her lips sealed. Plus, why would they even need a tour guide? The princess of the freaking country was going to be accompanying them on their trip!

“Tour guide? I’d be happy to guide you through your journey! However, I feel the need to inform you that I am not indigenous to this island. Despite that, I have read much about Alabasta prior to my arrival and feel that I have acquired enough knowledge. This is also not my first visit to this country!” the girl informed, her tone honest and her expression transparent. Yet, unbridled confidence laced every word she spoke. 

“Great!” Nami exclaimed, throwing an arm over the unsuspecting girl’s shoulder and pulling her along with her as she started to head out of the market, throwing a glance behind her to make sure Vivi was close behind.

Nami, in contrast to Vivi, felt like getting a tour guide was an excellent idea! She had witnessed first hand how forgetful Vivi could be, and although she didn’t doubt her knowledge when it came to Alabasta, she had a suspicion that the blue-haired girl’s forgetfulness would get the better of her. If, by some off chance, the girl did happen to recognize Luffy or Zoro -- those two being the only ones with bounties on their heads and thus the two most recognizable ones -- Nami was confident that they’d be able to take care of her before she blabbed to anyone, though she hoped it wouldn’t have to come to that. 

Her only worry was that if she had chosen someone without the proper knowledge to lead them through the country but those worries were quickly settled once she heard what the girl had to say. She didn’t seem like the type to lie or exaggerate either.

With that reassuring thought, she returned her attention to the girl in her arms, pressing closer to her comforting warmth. The girl was awfully polite and formal, but thankfully she didn’t seem opposed to the sudden act of skinship, responding with a wide smile after a second of momentary shock -- Nami felt relief wash over her as she witnessed the positive reaction, and if prompted as to why that was, in all honesty, the navigator wouldn’t know how to answer. 

“So, what should I call you?” Nami asked as she pushed through the crowd, the girl beside her. For some reason, she found herself eager to hear the girl’s soft voice again.

‘Her voice is soothing and her style of talking endearing.’ Nami concluded. 

“Oh, how absent-minded of me, I seem to have forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Hiriko, it’s nice to meet you!” the girl -- now revealed to be named Hiriko, supplied, craning her neck slightly during her introduction in a short bow -- probably because they were walking. Nami had a sneaking suspicion that if they had been standing still the girl would have gone into an all-out bow. 

Nami found it slightly uncanny how Hiriko had failed to mention her surname. It was a common practice and what could only be described as an essential part of any introduction when considering people who valued manners and etiquette — a group Hiriko seemed to fall in to. Nonetheless, she chooses not to comment on her observation, instead introducing herself and then pulling Vivi to stand beside her -- once they had escaped the crowd -- and urging her to do the same. Though the girl seemed to find difficulty in doing so.

Nami could only watch in thinly veiled amusement as the blue-haired princess blushed, stuttered and sputtered while hopelessly trying to say something. It was only a few minutes later — undoubtedly a tortuously long time for Vivi — that it suddenly dawned on Nami. Vivi couldn’t exactly go around introducing herself to people. She had to stay hidden, thus the large and oversized hood she donned to hide her distinct blue hair. However, before Nami could intervene, Hiriko had already spoken up.

“Don’t worry, princess. I assure you, an introduction from you is not necessary.” Hiriko’s words were spoken in a mellow fashion, chosen to reassure and encourage but the words themselves sent both girls into a panicked frenzy. 

“Was I not supposed to know that?” Hiriko inquired, her eyes glinting with concern as she watched the girls exchange shocked and fearful looks, “I can pretend to remain oblivious if that would make you two feel more at ease.”

The navigator and princess looked at the girl once more, watching her for a minute as they let her words sink in. Looking at each other once again, they both instantly knew they were thinking the same thing. 

‘There’s no way she’s leaving our sight now.’

And if asked, both would deny the reason being related to anything other than the girl’s knowledge of Vivi’s true identity.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: for some reason, rarely does anyone include Nami and Vivi (or any other female character) in these “Various X OC” stories. Why?! They’re so cute! On that note, for the first part of this story it might be an overwhelming amount of OC x Nami/Vivi moments but that’s only because they’re the two that have technically spent the most time with her. Plus, both are the first to meet her and bring her into the group, so...there are going to be plenty of moments with other characters as well, so, don’t worry! 
> 
> Also, I wanted this chapter to be a lot longer, but for some reason, I REALLY wanted to end the chapter here, so…I already have all the chapters up chapter 5 written out and waiting to be published, so, I’ll probably be updating consistently for the first time ever...exciting! I’m thinking probably weekly updates, how does that sound to you guys? 
> 
> Something I’m planning to experiment with in this story is the points of view, I’m planning to switch between them a lot. The prologue was written through Nami’s point of view and this chapter was written through Vivi’s. Is it confusing? I just thought I would be more engaging...
> 
> Lastly, I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Helpful criticism is always appreciated and so are any types of comments really! They really encourage me to keep writing!
> 
> p.s I added a drawing in the prologue (“Expensive Eyes), I just thought I’d mention it Incase you guys missed it!


	3. Regretful Reliance

Keys:-

“Talking” 

‘Thinking’ 

Emphasis/Emphasis

The day had been eventful, to say the least. After reaching Alabasta -- thanks to a passing ship -- Hiriko intended to keep a low profile, staying out of the spotlight until she was ready to depart from the island once again. She had even switched out her usual wardrobe for something less flashy.

However, as she ran away from a horde of marine soldiers, she knew all hopes of being invisible during this visit had flown out of the window. Looking to both of her sides, she saw the group she had only recently been introduced to run beside her, a few of them heaving heavily due to exhaustion -- they have been running for a while after all.

‘This won’t do.’ she thought, steeling herself before turning her head around to look at Nami -- who held her hand tightly, squeezing her hand every once in a while in reassurance. It was endearing.

The orange-haired girl was really kind, Hiriko learned. Her outgoing nature was one Hiriko immediately found herself growing fond of. 

“Nami-san, please leave them to me.” she requested raising her voice slightly so she could be heard over the yelling of the soldiers. Nami looked at her with wide eyes, lips parting to let out a protest but Hiriko didn’t give her the chance. Gently, she removed her hand from Nami’s grasp, giving her a squeeze of her own before doing so. Flashing her a big, reassuring smile that she hoped conveyed a promise, she continued, “I’ll catch up to you soon!”

With that she halted, letting the group speed past her. She saw the members look back, some almost stopping as well and turning around to face her but she heard Nami shakily tell them to move forward. 

With her smile still in place, she twirled around to face the quickly approaching crowd of marine soldiers, absentmindedly noting that the crew had turned a corner. They were out of sight, though that won’t be a problem for her. 

A few of the marines stopped in their tracks, though most continued running, obviously intending to run past her and continue to chase after the group -- she couldn’t let happen, now could she? 

Ripping the cloak from herself, Hiriko let the thick material drop to the floor, her hand reaching behind her to clutch her weapon as she faced her enemies.

“I apologize sincerely, but I can not allow you to pass. I assure you though, I will not be inflicting any long term damage onto any of you. I understand that it is too brazen of me to ask for forgiveness for what I am about to do, but I do hope you hold no grudge.”

“...”

“...”

“...huh?”

“I shouldn’t have let her go!” Nami screamed, her hands pulling at her hair in desperation as she paced across the deck of Going Merry. Her eyes were wide with worry, her hair a mess from how much she had been threading her fingers through it, and her legs threatened to give out from under her due to exhaustion, yet she refused to stop pacing. Across from her, Vivi was doing the same thing, her hands in her mouth instead, biting at her nails nervously. The same thoughts were running through her head.

“Then why did you?” Zoro snarkily remarked, expecting a sassy retort but was shocked when he received none -- at least none from the person the remark was aimed at. The dumb cook was screaming his head off, though.

‘She must really be worried.’ he mused. The girl -- Hiriko, his mind supplied, going back to her rather conventional introduction -- didn’t look like much. However, as he’s learned from his time being Luffy’s right-hand man, appearances can be deceiving. Hiriko didn’t seem too cocky either, which provided a bit of reassurance. She probably wouldn’t have bitten off more than she can chew.

Who’s he to say, though, he doesn’t know the girl. 

“There were more than a hundred soldiers!” Nami cried out, falling to her knees. Immediately Sanji was by her side, attempting to console the female, though he himself looked occupied. He was obviously worried about the girl as well.

Everyone was so focused on the golden-eyed girl that they had completely disregarded the fact that their own captain was nowhere to be seen, the swordsman realized. 

This had been going on for over half an hour now, the worry that is. It had gotten boring almost instantly, but now it was becoming annoying. If those two didn’t stop their whining and self-depreciation, Zoro wasn’t sure he could be trusted to keep himself under control, not with his swords so close. He’d only scare them though, to get their minds off the brunette.

Just as he was about to cut them off -- and potentially gag them -- someone beat him to it. It was Usopp, he shouted out from his perch on the crow’s nest* of Going Merry.

“Hiriko-chan! Sh-sh-sh-sh-sh-” the male sputtered, tripping over a single word. His jaw hung open, and his eyes were as wide as dinner plates as he looked through a pair of goggles. 

“Spit it out!” Nami screamed in frustration, Zoro, Sanji, and Chopper yelling along with her. While Vivi only looked at Usopp with a fire in her eyes being too timid to shout at the male. 

“SHE’S FLYING!” The curly-haired boy screamed, pointing forward with a shaky finger.

Immediately, everyone whipped their necks around to look at the direction Ussop had been pointing towards.

True to his words, Hiriko was levitating on thin air!

To be more accurate, it looked like she was hopping from one spot to the other, steadily shortening the distance between the ship and herself. She moved with elegance and speed, the crew could barely keep up with her with their eyes.

It didn’t take long for the brown-haired girl to land onto the ship, only emitting a soft thud as her feet hit the wooden flooring of the ship. Once she was grounded, Hiriko allowed herself to meet the eyes of the wide-eyed and slack-jawed crew.

It was only then that Zoro let himself inspect the girl, pushing his shock to the side for the time being. Her hair wasn’t held up anymore, it was now loose and reached her mid-back. Other than that, nothing seemed out of place. Surprisingly so. Not a single scar marred her visible skin -- at least none that looked recent. 

The green-haired male felt his eyebrows rise involuntarily. Had this woman really left a fight with a hundred marine soldiers without a single scratch?

Before he had a chance to voice any of the questions flooding his mind, Nami snapped out of whatever trance she had been and nearly tackled the girl into a hug -- gently beating onto her back and reprimanding her for being so reckless and making her worry. This apparently prompted Vivi to do the same. Sanji and Chopper even joined them in checking up on the girl. All of them seemingly forgetting about how the girl had been flying not even ten minutes ago. 

Didn’t they seem too attached to a girl they had just met? Zoro mused but didn’t say anything, choosing to silently observe for the time being.

“WAIT A MINUTE!” Ussop yelled, interrupting the heart-warming display. His face was flushed, his eyes nearly bugging out of their sockets and his jaw almost unhinged from how low it was hanging. The tangled up mess of limbs gradually detangled and all the individual members stepped to the side, revealing Hiriko — who looked more roughed up after that friendly hug session with Nami and Vivi than she did after an encounter with a hundred marine soldiers. Zoro wasn’t quite sure if that said more about Hiriko or Nami and Vivi. Both seemed frightening, he settled.

“YOU WERE FLYING!”

Hiriko blinked repeatedly, staring at the accusing finger pointed at her. “I’m sorry to disappoint you Usopp-san but I’m incapable of flying…” the brunette trailed off, her tone unsure as she regarded the curly-haired male carefully. 

Ussop only gave her a look of disbelief, a single eyebrow raised as he mockingly mimicked her words under his breath.

“We say you fly!” Chopper exclaimed, supporting Ussop. He jumped up and down in excitement, looking up at Hiriko with anticipation shining brightly in his dark orbs. “Just now! It was like you were walking on air!”

Realization seemed to dawn onto the golden-eyes girl and she let out a sound of understanding, nodding her head while sending Usopp an apologetic look that immediately had him regretting his childish choice of revenge (mimicry). “I understand now. Though I assure you, I wasn’t flying; I was jumping.” The girl explained, though her explanation birthed more questions than it answered. 

“Jumping?” Ussop repeated in bewilderment, urging Hiriko to elaborate. The girl nodded, seemingly about to comply with his silent wishes when she suddenly froze. Turning her head around Hiriko seemed to be looking at something on the dock (which was too far out to make out anything really) before she stepped forward, gently pushing Sanji and Chopper a couple of steps back. She didn’t seem to have the heart to ignore Sanji’s heart eyes and affectionate words as she spared him a smile, which had him swooning, before stepping back to stand beside him.

The members exchanged confused glances and just as they were about to point out the strange behavior they heard a loud yell. Turning around, they were barely able to recognize their captain before he came barreling into the ship...on the exact spot where Sanji and Chopper had been standing.

Zoro let out an audible sound of surprise at that, finally straightening up from where he had been leaning against the wall. 

‘How did she do that?!’ 

However, Nami, and in turn, the others, seemed more concerned about Luffy’s uncaptain-like behavior.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: lots of hints about her abilities were given in this chapter! It felt a bit rushed but I wanted to give a few hints and clues on who Hiriko is as a fighter before it’s actually revealed! Plus, a lot of things were intentionally slipped into this chapter, especially Hiriko’s interaction with a certain crew member...hint, hint. 
> 
> As for Zoro, I thought it would only be fitting for him to be a little on guard with a stranger suddenly joining them but don’t worry, that’ll soon change! 
> 
> Footnotes:
> 
> A crow's nest is the lookout spot on a ship.


	4. Reckless Reputation

After Luffy had suddenly dropped in -- pun intended -- it took him some time to notice the unfamiliar person standing on his ship amongst his crew. Blinking owlishly at the hooded girl he pointed a finger at her before asking who she was -- rather bluntly at that.

“Hello! You must be the captain of this crew! It’s nice to meet you! My name is Hiriko, and I’ve been assigned the job of your tour guide during your stay in Alabasta! Please take care of me.” 

The crew had been shocked. Rarely did anyone take Luffy to be the captain at first glance, most didn’t believe it even after being told so! Though, upon asking her how she figured it out, the girl merely pointed to the skull painted on their sail, having made the obvious link between the straw hat-wearing skull and the straw hat-wearing captain. That makes more sense, they all thought.

After that, the black-haired male who had saved them from Smoker appeared, balancing on the railing of the boat as he spoke. The male was polite and mature -- and all around the polar opposite of their captain, yet, shockingly so, he turned out to be Luffy’s brother. The crew had a hard time processing that, as far as their concerned, Luffy and Ace’s similarities ended with their black hair.

The Billions’ fleet then arrived -- Hiriko wasn’t quite sure what or who the “Billions” were but upon seeing the panic in Vivi’s expression she didn’t hesitate to step up. She could easily take care of them. Although, it would mean completely and utterly abandoning the low-profile plan she had but it wasn’t like there was much hope of actually being successful in that approach, at least not while being the infamous Straw Hat Pirates’ tour guide. It didn’t matter much to her. Plus, she’ll make sure that there's no one left to recognize her. 

However, as she was practicing the apology she would say to these “Billions” before taking them out, Ace beat her to the punch. Jumping on a small boat, he took out all five ships with a single strike.

Hiriko only watched in amazement, her golden eyes practically glowing and the grasp she had on her cloak (as she prepared to take it off) loosening before completely dropping off. 

‘So, this is the power of a commander on White Beard’s ship...he certainly lives up to his title.’

The shirtless male returned to the ship, resuming his earlier spot on the railing and continuing to converse as if nothing had happened. 

The group quickly got over their shock though, surprises and unexpected turn-of-events were something they had grown accustomed to. They were, after all, the norm when sailing with Luffy. Currently, everyone was gathered on the deck, chatting among themselves. 

Grabbing the opportunity, Hiriko -- who had stayed in the background during all the earlier mentioned events, for fear of intruding -- carefully slinked away from in between Nami and Vivi, somehow managing to slip out of the loose grip the orange-haired girl had around her waist and the one Vivi had around her arm, without them noticing.

“I have to say, your name isn’t one I’m completely unfamiliar with,” Hiriko admitted, as she waltzed up the Ace, who was lounging on top of a barrel while nursing his own drink -- must like Luffy, Ussop, Chopper, and Zoro. Her lips still set into a polite smile but her eyes blazed with a fire brighter than any other flame Ace had seen. 

“It seems my reputation precedes me!” the black-haired male said, a smirk of utter confidence gracing his face despite his sheepish tone.

“Indeed it does,” Hiriko agreed, “however, I have to admit, most of my knowledge comes from passing stories and rumors. In reality, I’d say I know close to nothing about the legendary ‘Fire Fist Ace’.” the girl mused aloud.

Ace found himself slightly taken aback at that. To many, rumors and the truth was the same thing. It was rare to see someone willing to look past the hateful words spoken about him. Plus, she was very polite -- what was she doing with Luffy?

It didn’t take long for the two to click, their personality matching well together. Both were very polite people in their own right, yet, it didn’t seem awkward. It didn’t look like they were keeping up the conversation for the sake of seeming polite, instead, both seemed to be invested in the discussion, their eyes alight with genuine enthusiasm and their voices filled with interest. 

It was nice, Ace realized. It didn’t feel like he had anything to prove. The topic of the conversation rotated but it was always a light-hearted topic. He even found himself sharing stories of his childhood with the brunette. Hiriko, in fact, seemed to be just as enthralled with the conversation as he was. Sharing her own stories -- through the context was always left vague, he noted -- and piping in when he told his own. 

During this, the two had seemingly forgotten about the crew. While it had only taken Nami and Vivi three minutes, exactly, to notice the brunette’s absence. They spotted her conversing with Ace before they could start panicking, again. 

She seemed so carefree. It was something Nami had noted when she first met the girl. It contrasted her seemingly “restrictive” and formal style of speaking, yet it suited her nonetheless. Nami couldn’t imagine seeing the girl constantly stressed and worried, she didn’t seem like that kind of person. Her eyes shone with the determination and drive of a free spirit. Nami would begrudgingly admit that she reminded her of Luffy in that sense, but the similarities ended there. She did have a certain pull to her, a certain charisma if you will, much like the raven-haired boy, yet her charisma stemmed from attributes much different than that of Luffy’s. She was polite, accepting and her actions endearing and frankly adorable in Nami’s eyes. Despite the mature fashion in which Hiriko spoke, her eyes held the wonder and amazement of a child.

Nami was soon snapped out of her thoughts by the sound of booming laughter, that of which had also cut off Ace and Hiriko’s conversation short.

“To Ace!” Ussop declared, obviously tipsy as he shakily raised his cup into the air. Chopper and a Luffy followed the sniper’s lead, clanging their cups to his while shouting out a ‘kenpai*!’ 

“He’s one of us now!”

The black-haired male bristled at that, obviously fed after having to deny the statement multiple times. Beside him, Hiriko laughed. She found the group’s enthusiasm (for lack of better words) to be refreshing and oddly endearing. 

“I already told you, I’m not going to be a part of your crew! I already have a crew I belong to.” Ace explained, his expression one of exasperation yet his tone gave away his playful intentions. “Besides, I’m too busy for that. I’m here on a mission…” he trailed off, glancing at Hiriko from the side of his eye. Just as he had expected, the brunette was looking at him with golden orbs filled to the brim with curiosity, her lips slightly parted as she leaned in slightly. He had to stop the smile threatening to tug at his lips as he saw the girl’s reaction.

As he explained his mission — speaking about his target; BlackBeard and the unforgivable crime he committed; the killing of his fellow nakama — he let his eyes sweep over the crew, carefully inspecting their reactions. His eyes lingered a few seconds longer on the brunette. 

Generally, everyone expressed varying degrees of disgust and repulsiveness. Hiriko, on the other hand, wore a blank mask — her earlier curiosity wiped away and the flame in her eyes dying away. She even straightened up, choosing to face forward instead, for some reason. 

However, before he could even think of reaching out to the brunette, Hiriko backed away. She slowly and discreetly, created a distance between them, going to stand by Nami once again. 

He felt...offended? No, that wasn’t it. He didn’t feel offended...hurt? That didn’t make sense either. He hadn’t known Hiriko long enough to be hurt by her. It’s barely been an hour since they’ve met!

Either way, after pushing whatever he was feeling to the back of his head -- something to dwell on later, he figured -- Ace continued speaking. 

“The only reason I’m here in the first place is because Black Beard was reportedly seen in Yuba.” He explained, his eyes straying to the brunette at the back of the bunch ever so often. It didn’t look like she was paying attention to the conversation — something that seemed unlike her, then again Ace had just met her — but he could see her eye twitch every so often as if there was something bugging her. 

‘Is there anything the matter?’ He almost voiced out his concerns but chose against it last minute when he heard the orange-haired girl — Nami, was her name — let out a noise realization, successfully capturing his attention. 

“That’s where we’re going, right Vivi-Chan?” 

The blue-haired female nodded, her earlier bashful nature forgotten as she spoke about her country with an air of complete understanding and mastery. Each word she uttered was laced with threads of confidence, her tone curt and straightforward; it was as if she had become another person.

And, as she watched the blue-haired princess put on a facade of confidence and invincibility for the sake of her Kingdom — despite how scared Hiriko knew she undoubtedly was — made a warm feeling blossom in Hiriko’s chest. She felt proud of the girl.

From what she had heard so far, the girl’s ideals were somewhat unrealistic and unquestionably naive. Yet, Hiriko had an inclination that Vivi didn’t need to be told that. Deep down, Vivi knew. She just hasn’t accepted yet...maybe. 

Although Hiriko always found herself analyzing characters and building ideas and theories about them and their personalities based on what few facts she had — she’d been proven wrong numerous times. But alas, it was a hard habit to kick. These types of “analysis” — which were in all honesty just another excuse to let her imagination run free — kept her sane through many nights alone…

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: I tried switching it up in this chapter. Something that can sometimes get boring is when a character is added to a story but makes no real impact, you know? Likes they’re just there...so, I’m trying to make sure I don’t fall into that pit hole with this story. I’m paraphrasing a lot of the stuff and adding things of my own to hopefully keep you guys engaged, how do you like it so far? Something I’m considering doing is that instead of rewatching an episode, I’ll just read a summary of the episode and write based off of that, I’m hoping that way I’ll be able to avoid the problem I mentioned earlier since I’ll just have a vague idea of what’s occurred instead of actually recalling each detail...you know? 
> 
> This story is pretty heavy on the side glances, and mushy thoughts about one another, I’m doing this intentionally since I don’t want this to feel like it barely qualifies to be an “ OC x Various” type story, you know? I don’t want to be stingy with romance! Though, don’t be expecting any kiss scenes any time soon.
> 
> Also, I noticed that I didn’t include many interactions with Sanji, Luffy and basically everyone but Nami and Ace. My excuse is that, for Ace, well, he’s going to leave soon, so I wanted him to be attached to Hiriko as soon as possible. As for Nami, she’s the one who first met Hiriko and brought her into the group, plus she kind of works for her, so...expect more from them…? Point is, you’ll see many more interactions from the whole group right after Ace leaves! And before that as well, so don’t worry!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed this chapter! As always, comments are dearly appreciated! Special thanks to @Ilive4cookies , who’s been reading and commenting on every chapter! Thank you!


	5. Forgotten Friends

Keys:- 

“Talking”

‘Thinking’

Emphasis/Emphasis

A long passage in italics implies a flashbacks

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.

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“Is there something the matter, Vivi-san?”

Bristling slightly, Vivi craned her body around the chair to look at Hiriko -- who was retying her hair into a ponytail in the mirror in the girl’s dorm. 

Earlier, when Vivi had first laid eyes on the girl upon her landing on the ship, she had been so occupied with making sure Hiriko wasn’t fatally injured that she didn’t notice the change in hairstyle. After she did take notice of it, she was reminded of her earlier ponderings on what Hiriko would look like with her hair loose. ‘Pretty’ was what she had decided on at the time. Hiriko did indeed look very pretty with waves of slightly curled strands of brown hair framing her face and delicately falling over her shoulder. In fact, ‘pretty,’ barely did her justice, Vivi realized. 

Yet, that was beside the point. Vivi had just finished writing an extensive report on the inner workings of Baroque Works and planned to have Carue deliver it to her father. However, as much as she trusted her feathered companion, she also knew he could easily be overpowered and thus the letter could easily be stolen and leaked, which would mean them losing the potential advantage they might have over Baroque Works.

This, however, was all classified information. These were problems she didn’t feel completely comfortable talking to the Straw Hat Pirate crew with, so, it would make sense that she wouldn’t even dream of spilling out her problem to a random stranger who had joined their journey temporarily. No matter how much, said stranger had grown on her. 

Yet, as she looked into the girl’s concerned eyes and saw the genuine desire to help, she couldn’t stop the words from spilling past her lips. Her shoulder slumped and her eyes glazed over as she allowed the situation to sink in and for her vulnerable side to show for the brunette’s eyes only.

She didn’t give out any names though, leaving Baroque Works out of the conversation entirely. Instead, she said she wanted to deliver sensitive information to her father but was worried about the risk of interception. 

“Well, I could offer to go along with Carue-san,” the brown-haired girl began, but upon seeing the pure denial in Vivi’s expression she nodded in understanding. “However, I think it is safe to assume you wouldn’t agree to that suggestion,” a chuckle left her lips as she saw Vivi nod strongly with a huff. Hiriko had come to learn that the crew, especially the females, were easily worried people. They barely allowed her to leave their sight, especially after the stunt she pulled while they were running away from the marines.

‘This must be what people mean when they say laughter that sounds like chiming bells, huh?’ The girl’s laugh was melodic and Vivi could barely quell the urge to hear more of it.

“Thus, I would recommend writing in code.” At that Vivi perked up. Muting the mental recording of the girl’s laugh -- to probably replay over and over later -- she gave Hiriko her full attention. “There is an ancient scripter in Alabasta, known as Cuneiform*. I believe I read somewhere that Nefertari Cobra is familiar with this script. I am able to read and write Cuneiform as well but I doubt you will want to disclose the sensitive information you were speaking of earlier. So, instead, I suggest using a key sheet of sorts. I will be responsible for making it and I am hoping it will allow you to translate the letter yourself.” 

After a moment or two spent in silence, with Vivi’s expression unmoving aside from the steady increase of liquid in her eyes, Hiriko decided to speak up once again. “The script is fairly simple...” she trailed off in an attempt of reassurance, but before she could end her sentence she was interrupted by the sound of a quiet sob. That single sob was all it took for Vivi to snap her eyes close tightly, lean her head back and drop her arms by her side limply as she let her tears flow freely down her face. 

Taking a cautious step towards the princess, Hiriko called out words of reassurances, telling her she didn’t have to and that she was sure that the letter could be delivered safely, but to no avail, Vivi continued to weep.

It was only minutes later (at which Hiriko was already drowning in a pit of guilt and regret -- for what? She did not know. Yet, that did not change the fact that she was the reason Vivi was crying...most likely.) that Vivi blinked her, now red, eyes open. She stared at Hiriko quietly for a moment before shakily getting up from her chair and engulfing the girl in a hug. Vivi leaned against the brunette heavily, wrapping her arms around her waist and burying her face into the girl’s neck as she hiccuped. 

“Th-thank you,” she cried. That single word was all she repeated for a while, saying nothing else as the brunette -- after getting over the initial shock of being glomped into a hug by the timidest person on the ship -- led her to the couch on the other side of the room and started rubbing her back comfortingly while muttering sweet reassurances and words of encouragement.

She wasn’t just thanking her for her help on the coding, Vivi realized as she sobbed. No, she wouldn’t have reacted so emotionally if that was the case. Instead, Vivi was thanking the girl for walking straight into sure danger for no reason other than to help her. Hiriko wasn’t oblivious. She had recognized Zoro and Luffy the minute she laid eyes on them. Yet, she had greeted them with a polite introduction -- as she did with everyone else. She had brought up the bounty on their heads when asked how she knew their names, yet she didn’t seem held up because of it. Instead, she just smiled and joked about how much of an honor it was to meet the future Pirate King -- though it didn’t feel like she was mocking Luffy’s dream, quite the opposite really and Luffy seemed to sense that as well. The black-haired captain, as well as the everyone on the crew, had immediately warmed up to Hiriko. Zoro appeared to still hold some suspicion about the girl, but Vivi had even seen him smile while talking to Hiriko -- it was more a smirk but she believed it still counted.

The point was, Hiriko probably had some idea of the level of danger she was getting herself into when she first stepped onto their ship, yet with a bright smile she continued on. She wasn’t getting anything out of it! She could have easily said no to Nami when she first proposed the “tour guide” idea and that could have been the end of it. Yet, she didn’t and looking back at it, Vivi was already really glad she didn’t. 

For some reason, she felt comfortable around the girl. She trusted Hiriko enough to share her worries with her and to cry on her shoulder, despite only knowing her for a day -- their meeting having been yesterday. With that thought, she realized maybe Hiriko wasn’t the only one getting herself in a dangerous situation. 

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“Hiriko-chan, Vivi-chan the -- is everything alright?” Sanji started calling out the two girls’ names but quickly changed his tone once he saw Vivi’s state. With swollen eyes, the princess was resting her head on Hiriko’s shoulder with her arms wrapped loosely around her waist. Hiriko herself was writing something on a scrap of paper. 

“You can lean on me if you desire to do so, Vivi-san.” 

And who was Vivi to say no? Especially since she didn’t have an excuse to cling onto the girl anymore considering she had calmed down and had stopped crying. She also didn’t miss the chance to tell the girl to stop using such formal suffixes with her name. 

“We’re closer than that, right?”

It was safe to say that Hiriko will no longer be calling her, Vivi-san!

‘This feels better than being promoted!’ Vivi thought, as she heard Hiriko repeat her name with a much more intimate suffix this time. She thought back to her days as a Baroque Works agent. It was difficult and she despised almost everyone there, yet she couldn’t deny the rush of excitement she felt after she successfully completed a mission or how proud of herself she was when she finally became a number agent after clawing her way to the top. For some reason, she felt the same sense of pride when she heard Hiriko call her “Vivi-chan.”

“We are fine, but thank you for your concern, Sanji-san.” Hiriko reassured, her eyes fond as she stared at the blond cook.“Vivi-chan and I will meet you up on the deck.”

“Of course, Hiriko-chan!” Sanji shouted out, swooning. His urge to please kicked in and he left the room despite the worry he felt for the blue-haired princess. Though, judging by the way she had immediately hidden behind Hiriko upon seeing him, he guessed that she didn’t want to talk about it.

‘At least she has Hiriko-chan!’ The cook thought while lighting up his cigarette. The thought of the kind brunette brought a wide smile to his face. For some weird reason though, she felt familiar to him. As if he has seen her somewhere. The feeling had been clawing at the back of his mind since he had first met her -- hence his delayed reaction at the time, which allowed the girl to give her rather formal yet endearing introduction first. 

“Perhaps she had been my wife in my past life!” Sanji fantasized, shivers of excitement climbing up his body and his eyes becoming half-lidded as he allowed himself to be taken over by his dreams and fantasizes.

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.

‘He doesn’t remember me,’ Hiriko mused, watching the blonde leave the room. For some reason, the realization dampened her mood. Although, she held their memories together dear to her heart -- those memories being some of the few bright moments she had experienced at that period of her life -- she had come to terms with the fact that she’d probably never meet the young cook ever again when she didn’t see him at the Baratie a month ago. Yet, here he was. 

Hiriko knew there would be a very slim chance of Sanji remembering her, especially considering the state she had been when they first met. To be frank, it would have been more unnatural if he had remembered her. Yet, despite all the time she spent thinking back to the memories she shared with him, she had never considered what she’d do if she did meet him...should she try to remind him?

‘If this journey continues down the dangerous path it is currently on, he’ll find out soon enough. I shouldn’t rush it.’

.

.

.

Emerging from the room, Hiriko brought her arms up and bent her back lightly, listening for a crack before letting them drop to her sides. Her eyes caught a glimpse of a green-haired male -- ‘Zoro’ she easily recognized, the male was quite infamous, after all. 

Zoro was training, well, she could only guess he was training. In reality, the male was swinging around a huge metal rod that carried tons of dumbbell weights. She strained her ears to hear what he was muttering from her distance.

“389, 390, 391 --” he was counting, Hiriko realized.

‘He’s really strong,’ she acknowledged, but she could also see the grace in which he swung the pole. Zoro was obviously a skilled swordsman. What many failed to realize was that strength isn’t the only thing that makes a swordsman -- or any fighter for that matter -- great. Strength and grace co-existed within any truly great fighter -- with only a few exceptions.

“That took me years to figure out,” she grumbled softly, rubbing her shoulder as she flashed back the hours spent practicing in the dark forest.

Shaking her head, Hiriko ambled her way over to Zoro and Chopper, plopping down next to the shorter of the two. 

Chopper was splayed out on the wooden floor, his eyes closed in relaxation and his expression one of absolute serenity. He kept mumbling something about how nice the breeze made by Zoro’s insistent swinging of the pole was.

‘Poor thing must be dying from the heat.’ Hiriko had immediately felt sympathy for the small reindeer upon their first meeting. The poor boy was covered in thick fur and drenched in sweat.

Despite his state, during their short meeting outside the market, Chopper had been ecstatic to meet her -- after he got over his shyness (which Hiriko found adorable!), he kept bombarding her with endless questions, many of which she was thankfully saved from answering due to the arrival of the marines. Not the best of situations to be in, but she was still grateful for it nonetheless. Some of the questions bordered on topics she’d rather not discuss with anyone, much less strangers -- as kind as they may be.

As if suddenly remembering something, the brunette dug into the inside pocket of her cloak and rummaged inside the material, unaware of the fact that both Zoro and Chopper’s attention was now drawn to her, their eyes fixated on her form. As she wrapped her fingers around the item she was looking for a smile bloomed on her face. Pulling out the small fan, she turned to face Chopper, who was now peaking at her from one open eye.

“This may provide a bit of relief,” she explained, snapping the fan open in one fluid motion and beginning to fan the small animal. 

“You don’t ha --” whatever words of denial Chopper had been planning to say died on his lips as the cool breeze hit him. Letting his back meet the floor once again, he thanked the girl graciously before letting go of everything and basking in the cool air.

Quirking a brow, Zoro fought the smile of amusement threatening to play on his lips at the sight of the female fanning the small reindeer. 

‘Focus!’ And, so he returned to his training.

Not a minute later, he looked up at Hiriko once again when he felt a cool wind hit his sweat-slicked skin. Hiriko was already looking at him and met his eyes, she smiled brightly, her hand moving up and down in long swings so the breeze would reach both Chopper and him.

“I mean no offense by saying this, but you looked like you needed it too, Zoro-san.” 

Normally, he’d deny the gesture, saying he didn’t need it and that the intense weather would help with his stamina anyway -- plus, what harm could a little heat due. But as he saw the genuine concern shining amidst pools of gold, he couldn’t find it in himself to deny the obviously heartfelt gesture. Instead, he muttered a simple “none taken,” before resuming his exercises.

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“We’re here!” came Luffy’s shout, reaching Hiriko who was occupying the bathroom of the ship. 

Swiftly swiping a hand on her forehead, shoulders, and upper chest to make sure each of those areas were dry, Hiriko made quick work of retying her bandana around her forehead. She fixed her cloak and pulled her hood up before heading out. The familiar weight of the weapon carried on her back putting her at ease.

Reaching the deck quickly, Hiriko scanned the area they had docked near, her smile flattering as she recognized it. Everyone had already piled out of the ship as well.

She called out in urgency, raising her voice to be heard, but alas it was too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: this was the first early access chapter I did on Patreon! Anyway, I’ve finished writing SIXTEEN chapters for this book!!! Plus a few key interactions...so, expect consistent updates every Saturday for sixteen weeks at the very least! Also, I’m thinking of making YouTube videos about this story where I address certain clues or point of things, and maybe even talking about certain theories readers may come up with. Maybe even a character analysis of Hiriko! I enjoy making videos so I thought it would be fun, especially with how excited for this story I am! What do you think though? Would you watch? 
> 
> I hope you enjoyed the chapter! A new one will be up on Saturday! 
> 
> Footnote:
> 
> Cuneiform: it’s not fictional. This script is the oldest documented one we have and was used by the Sumerians.


	6. Returning Royalty

Hiriko shouted out to the group in urgency, raising her voice to be heard, but alas it was too late.

‘No, no, no!’ she chanted inwardly, running across the deck and jumping overboard at a neck-breaking pace, unmindful of the dark eyes that had been watching her. She landed on the ground with a soft thud, her eyes immediately focused on Luffy, who was raising his hand as if to punch the Kung Fu Dugong -- a strange creature that looked to be a hybrid between a turtle and a seal. Its skin was a dark, brown and it had the face, bottom, and arms of a seal. It was covered with the green shell of a turtle, some of the protective layer even coming to wrap around his head. Hiriko had read a lot about these creatures before her first trip to Alabasta, years ago. They were known for their ruthless fighting style and their competitive and primal nature. Yet, even with that insight, she was still unprepared when meeting them during her first visit. Her only hope was that she could prevent the Straw Hat crew from falling into the same trap she had been victim to.

“Luffy-san!” She called out, managing to stand in front of the black-haired boy just in the nick of time to block his punch by grabbing his wrist.

Unaware of the bewildered expressions she was receiving, and perhaps blocking out the shouts of bafflement as well, Hiriko bowed slightly to the stunned captain, showing him a sheepish smile as she slowly released his arm.

“I apologies, however, it integral that you never engage a Kung Fu Dugong in combat,” she explained, glancing at everyone as she continued. She bowed in apology at the scolding looks she received from Nami and Vivi -- probably due to the reckless act of throwing herself in the line of Luffy’s punch. “They are highly...primal animals. They are fiercely loyal. They are also accepting to outsiders —“ at that Ussop let out a loud scoff, rubbing the bump on his head courtesy of one of the Dugongs. “They choose their leaders based on strength. Meaning, if you were to be the victor in battle, you would automatically become their leader.” 

Hiriko wasn’t sure what she was expecting, she had just unloaded a lot of outrageous information onto the unsuspecting group, after all. However, she certainly wasn’t expecting the captain’s expression to twist into one of pure excitement, a huge grin playing on his lips as he shouted out in enthusiasm. “I want to be their leader!” While bringing up his fist once again.

“Trust me, you do not.” Hiriko calmly said, stopping Luffy’s punch once again by clamping her palm over his speeding fist. Somehow, she was still able to maintain her patience with the knuckleheaded captain. “They are very...clingy creatures.” She decided, choosing her words carefully as not to mislead the boy.

Luffy let out a sound of understanding at that, quickly losing interest in the animals. Instead, he focused his eyes on their still attached hands. Noticing this, Hiriko flushed but before she could remove her hand and apologies, the black-haired male placed his other hand on top of hers and swung their connected hands together in the air.

“You’re strong!” He exclaimed excitedly.

Slightly taken aback, Hiriko thanked the boy, letting him play with her hand while smiling along with him. She had been so engaged with Luffy that she had failed to notice that a passing gust of wind had knocked her hood off her face, exposing waves of brown hair.

A shrill squeal broke her away from the interaction and without much thought, she looked back at what everyone else was looking at.

The previously dispersed horde of Kung Fu Dugongs now stood in an orderly line in front of her, the one closest to her -- and at the front of the formation -- squeaking loudly. All of them had raised their arms up in a salute, their chests puffed out in a straight stance, showing respect.

“Oh, no.” Hiriko’s smile completely fell as she saw the group. “This is bad.”

“‘Our Queen has returned!’ What does he mean by that Hiriko-chan?” Chopper asked, translating the Dugongs squeaks into an understandable language.

“Is that what he was saying? Thank you for the translation, Chopper-san” Chuckled Hiriko, her hand coming up to rub the back of her neck nervously. 

“What’s happening here?” Nami asked, stepping up and walking to stand in front of Hiriko, tapping her foot on the floor impatiently. Her eyebrows were furrowed and her eyes looked at Hiriko expectantly, refusing to melt at the sight of her smile.

“You see, as I mentioned earlier on, I have visited Alabasta many times in the past. During one of those visits, I met the Dugongs...I committed the mistake I was able to prevent Luffy-san from doing.” She explained, leaving the rest for the group to piece together. Swiftly bending down in an apologetic bow (which caused her to pull her hands out of Luffy’s sturdy grip) she began to apologize “, I’m sorry for not mentioning it. It never occurred to me that I would once again meet them during this visit. I sincerely apologize for the inconvenience. I will distract them while you an --”

However, Hiriko wasn’t able to complete her suggestion as she was interrupted by a sudden onslaught of outraged squeaks and squeals. Whipping around to face the Dugongs once again, she found the head Dugong laying on the ground with a huge, swelling, bump on his head. Luffy was standing over him, his fist raised in victory.

“I’m your king! Hiriko-chan and I will lead you from now on!”

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.

.

Luffy did not end up becoming the Dugongs’ king, quite the opposite really. The fierce animals had been irritated that the boy had attacked them without them initiating the fight -- “immoral” was what they called it, if Chopper’s translation was accurate. The Dugongs didn’t hesitate before swarming the captain and his crew, engaging them in a battle, while purposefully avoiding Hiriko. The creatures had used a familiar fighting style, and as she watched them fight with the moves she had taught them, Hiriko found herself smiling widely. 

That aside, as questionable as Luffy’s actions had been, they did provide Hiriko with a distraction and with Nami’s orders she walked into the desert, hiding behind a boulder to wait for the others and to avoid the Dugongs -- cause god knows if she’ll be able to escape the next time they find her. 

It didn’t take the group long to catch up to her, though, they didn’t return unscathed. More than a few of the members were covered in black and blue bruises -- Usopp even supported a black eye -- and they were also missing half of their supplies. A few were even mumbling about how advanced the fighting style of those “dumb dummies” was -- Hiriko blushed at the indirect compliment, but it went unnoticed.

“Damn it! Thanks to you, our food supply has gone way down.” Sanji shouted in irritation. It was explained to Hiriko, by Chopper, that they were able to come to an agreement with the Dugongs after they had offered them some meat in exchange for their freedom. 

“I do not believe Luffy-san is to blame. It is undoubtedly my fa --” Hiriko began, attempting to apologize but to no avail. She had started an apology numerous times already, but every time someone would interrupt her, insisting she had nothing to apologize for. Sanji chooses to interrupt this time, by grabbing her hand gently and pressing a soft kiss against the skin of her knuckles.

“You shouldn’t apologize anymore, Hiriko-chan!” the blonde stated, inhaling the girl’s scent sharply before reluctantly letting her hand go and straightening up. She felt so familiar.

‘I’d never forget such enchanting eyes, though.’ Indeed he wouldn’t. He had only known the girl for a day now, but the girl’s glowing eyes haunted him even in his sleep. There was no chance he would forget those golden eyes, no matter how much time had passed.

“Yeah, Luffy’s just an idiot.” Nami agreed, swiping Hiriko away from Sanji after shooting him a weird look from the side of her eye. “You, however, seem to be full of surprise, Miss Tour Guide.”

Laughing softly at that, Hiriko smiled bitterly at the irony of the statement.

‘You have no idea.’

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.

The crew had been traveling through the desert for a while now, their destination -- Hiriko wasn’t sure. She had tried to ask Nami and Vivi but both girls had dismissed her, saying they were going to take care of everything and she only needed to relax. Which was quite ludicrous, Hiriko thought, she was the tour guide, after all. However, she chooses to put her faith in the princess and the navigator, knowing both were more than capable of navigating through the brutal desert. Using the chance, she decided to mingle with the crew, wanting to know the members better. What else was there to do, anyway?

The first person she had approached was Chopper, mostly out of pity if she was being honest. She crouched down and started uncomfortably walking next to the reindeer who was being pulled on a sled by Zoro. Without much thought, she pulled out the fan she had been fanning him with when they were on the ship earlier that day, and gently placed it in between his hooves, urging him to take it. The reindeer brightened at that, smiling bright and excitedly. He thanked the brunette, and some of his energy returned as he vigorously swung the fan around, generating a cool breeze that he even tried sharing with her. She chuckled at that and told him she was fine, before patting his head and standing up, her joints groaning relief as she got up from that uncomfortable position.

Speeding up her pace slightly, Hiriko started walking alongside Zoro. She obviously couldn’t keep the curiosity out of her face as she snuck glances at his swords, prompting the swordsman to start explaining his sword technique with a smirk curving his lips. Her interest only grew with every word he said and so did Zoro’s smirk, amusement quickly giving way to fondness as he saw the genuine wonder shining in her eyes.

Somewhere during the conversation, the captain joined in, steering the conversation towards food. He raved about meat for at least ten minutes before looking at her with sudden immense interest in his eyes, “what’s your favorite food?”

Dwelling on the question for a minute or so, since no one had asked her that question before, at least not in the past decade. “I don’t have a favorite food,” she concluded, but upon seeing the disappointment on Luffy’s face, decided to add “but I have a massive sweet tooth!”

That seemed to gain Sanji’s attention, who she’s come to learn is the crew’s chief. The blonde was by her side in an instant, pushing Luffy out of the way as he started listing all the sweets he’d be happy to prepare for her. His mood only seemed to brighten, and his face became even more flushed as he saw how genuinely excited the girl seemed to be, a hop now in her step. The blonde could feel a pleasant warmth pooling into his stomach as he thought about how he was the one who made her so excited with promises of delicious sweets he’d lovingly prepare for her.

Somehow, a while later, the brunette found herself walking next to Usopp, asking him about the slingshot she had briefly gotten a glimpse of when he pulled out during their first encounter with the marines. The sniper was more than happy to oblige and told her about how it works and all the powerful people he had taken down while sailing the seas as “a brave warrior of the sea.” Frankly, the boy told more obviously exaggerated stories about himself and his bravery than the slingshot itself, but Hiriko didn’t have the heart to stop him as she saw the fire shining in his eyes as he momentarily forgot about the sun beating down on them. The sniper found himself reinvigorated, a sudden energy washing over him as he saw Hiriko nod excitedly, eager to hear more of his stories. 

After all of that, Hiriko found herself walking with Ace. She had been avoiding the male for a while, slightly put off after he spoke about the man he was hunting. She certainly didn’t have anything against Ace, quite the opposite, she found his bravery awe-worthy, and his values even more so. It just so happened that his story brought up some bad memories. However, when the male went out of his way to slink past all the members and situate himself right next to her, their arms brushing against each other as they walked and a small yet bright smile on his lips, Hiriko couldn’t find it in herself to refuse the male. So, for the second time since their meeting, they found themselves completely entranced in each other’s presence, talking about everything yet nothing in particular. 

It didn’t take Ace long to figure out that the girl didn’t have a motive to be talking to him, he understood that from their first conversation. She spoke about different topics, many of which seemed so insignificant yet made her whole face light up. Hiriko seemed to want to get to know him and the thought, for some reason, caused his heart to swell.

The girl herself answered most of his questions, yet he noticed if a question bordered on something personal, she’d only answer it on a surface level before moving on to another topic. Despite his curiosity, he started avoiding those topics, desperately wanting the conversation to continue and fearing it would cause the girl to avoid him once again.

Hiriko immensely enjoyed the conversation, even forgetting about the reason that the black-haired was here, to begin with. 

It was a while later when Vivi suddenly decided to join them, standing to Hiriko’s right side -- with Ace by her left side. The princess didn’t say anything as she came to stand beside her, her hand coming up to her mouth, ready to bite down on her nails -- a nervous habit of hers. However, before she could do that, another hand grabbed hers. As she looked up, she saw it was Hiriko. The brunette still continued her conversation with Ace, even as she threaded her fingers between Vivi’s and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

It was such a small act, but for some reason, it brought Vivi a great relief. The blue-haired girl wasn’t so sure she was ready to see how much the Green City of Erumalu had fallen, as it undoubtedly had fallen. 

It was only a few minutes later that Hiriko turned her full attention to Vivi, closing up a conversation with Ace and missing the way his smile tensed and then dimmed at the loss of her attention. 

“Is it the appropriate time for you to reveal to me our destination, princess?” Hiriko asked, a teasing tone coating the last word, her eyes sparkling with mirth as she tried to lift up the blue-haired female’s mood.

Vivi giggled, nudging Hiriko shyly as blood rose to her cheeks. “We’re going to Yuba, to meet with the rebels. We’ll be passing Eruma -- ” the princess continued, explaining the route to the oblivious brunette, but her words went through deaf ears, the golden-eyed having stopped listening after the first sentence. 

‘The rebels aren’t in Yuba.’

Just as the golden-eyed was thinking about the best way to reveal the information, the sound of boisterous laughing interrupted her. 

Looking to the side, she saw Ace throwing his head back, laughing heartily as he watched Luffy trying to get his head out of a barrel he had somehow gotten stuck in. 

The sight had Hiriko rethinking what she should do. Ace was only traveling with them since they both shared the same destination, right? Would them resetting their route to Katorea mean him parting ways with the group? With his brother? 

Although she didn’t know much about the brothers, Hiriko could see their love for each clearly. It was obvious they hadn’t seen each other for a while as well, if them discovering new things about each every ten minutes was anything to go by. She knew it wasn’t her call, but she didn’t want to split the two brothers. Yet, them meeting the rebels seems necessary.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: initially this chapter was like half the length it is now, however, it just seemed too short and too boring for the weekly wait so I just combined this chapter with chapter 6. Plus, I didn’t want to bore you guys with too many action-empty chapters this early on. Also, what do you guys think Hiriko’s going to do? I’d like to hear your theories! I apologize if there were any mistakes, I’m editing this with major stomach aches. Hope you enjoyed this chapter nonetheless! A new one is coming out Saturday, as usual! As always helpful criticism and encouraging comments are welcome!

**Author's Note:**

> Comments and criticism are always welcomed! I sincerely hope you enjoyed this chapter!


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